[ILUG] Decent keyboards with Linux layout

[Niall O Broin]

On 16 Sep 2005, at 08:57, Kae Verens wrote:

> the "Linux" keyboards they sell are US-layout. My laptop has a 
> US-layout keyboard, and, while I like the swapped " and @, the 
> position of the |,\ key really irks me.

I'm using U.S. layouts a LONG time - I guess they're in my fingers. But 
you can also get those keyboards in U.K. layout if anyone so desires 
(Paul's will be that way)

> If I was to buy a new keyboard, I'd choose an IE-style layout that 
> doesn't have a number pad (redundant!!)

The Happy Hacker keyboard might be what you want.

>  and swap the " and @ with a keyboard map. And what's with all those 
> "multimedia" keys? Does anyone actually use them?

Yes - my kids have one, and I was watching an episode of SG1 on their 
PC last night. Having not yet installed VLC there WMP was playing it, 
and space bar doesn't pause - but my son pointed out the pause key, 
just like on a tape player.

> While the modern keyboards don't have the same healthy clunky feel of 
> the old industrial keyboards you used to get with the 286s, they're at 
> least not €80, and easy to swap if you accidentally spill a cup of 
> coffee over them.

My keyboard is a very important tool to me - I don't consider €80 all 
that much to pay for a good one. My last keyboard of that quality 
lasted > 15 years - that counts as reasonable value for money, I think.

If I spilled a cup of coffee over mine, I'd disconnect it, pour out the 
coffee, and rinse it off with water, and leave to dry for a few days. 
During those few days I'd regular beat myself for my stupidity [cue 
story from a DEC techie who once replaced a keyboard in  AIB or 
somesuch. The bank had a strict policy against drinking near keyboards, 
and if there was any damage, the employee had to pay. Techie told me 
that the poor girl involved was bawling over the loss of 250 quid - 
this would have been when that was real money - probably more than her 
weekly pay]


Niall